We all know that Calcium and Magnesium are critical minerals that are absolutely essential to grow and maintain healthy bones and teeth, yet very few people get nearly enough in the combination of their regular diet and their multivitamin. The ideal ratio would be to supplement a healthy diet with 1000mg calcium to 500mg of magnesium (2:1).

These two essential minerals are also extremely important for maintaining muscles and nerves and something that may surprise you, your brain function! As we age, our bones, teeth, muscles, nerves and brain function are some of the most important areas of our mind and body we will all want to maintain as much as possible.

Now there is even more exciting news about Calcium. In the American Journal of Epidemiology, February 2010 researchers from Stockholm, Sweden reported that the men that were the top calcium consumers had a 25 percent lower risk of dying from any cause and a 23 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, relative to men that had the least amount of calcium in their diet. The researchers concluded and I quote: “Intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality.” This should not be surprising, since calcium has been shown to help support healthier blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Zinc is critical for growth and to nourish the tissues that make up your body. It is crucial for wound healing, immune function, antioxidant support, overall healthy complexion, bone integrity and also a myriad of other significant cellular functions. For men, zinc is especially important for fertility and also prostate health, as the prostate has been reported to have the highest concentration of zinc of all glandular tissues. And teenagers like zinc because it helps with acne.

Vitamin D is a superstar that has recently returned from obscurity. We were all told to stay out of the sun, cover up when outside and slather our bodies with SPF of 15 or higher. I agree that skin cancer needs to avoided, but you should have also been told that as a result, your vitamin D levels will drop dramatically, and this will create higher risks of cancer, heart disease, depression and autoimmune disease. There is even growing evidence that sufficient vitamin D may help support a leaner, healthier body weight and help control blood sugar as well.

Betaine HCl and Glutamic Acid have also been added to this powerful supplement as it has been estimated that upwards of 50 percent of people at the age of 60 have inadequate amounts of stomach acid to optimally absorb their minerals, protein and many other critical nutrients. A little Betaine HCl and glutamic acid can often help my patients enhance their mineral absorption to help achieve their goal of mineral repletion.

The vast majority of us need a solid mineral supplement that augments our diets and basic multivitamin. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D all help fuel vital pathways that sustain your health and life. When your body is optimally nourished, it is only then that it will optimally perform!

The next time you are about to make another coffee run, you might want to consider Green Tea instead. We know that coffee is rich in antioxidants, but you can further enhance your health if you create more balance in your beverages.

A substance called “catechins” that are abundant in green tea have been shown to be absorbed from your GI tract and actually go to many parts of your eyes including the lens and retina. This is really important, because catechins are powerful antioxidants and the eye is very susceptible to free radical damage, including the very oxygen that you breath to sustain your life. Also with the growing issues of environmental pollution, holes in the ozone and atrocious food quality from modern agricultural practices, it is essential to do what you can to help protect your eyes.

If you like like the taste of green tea, that is great. However if you are like me and have not have fully acquired the taste for green tea, then you may choose to supplement your diet with green tea capsules. This is an excellent way to help fortify your antioxidant levels, not just for the eye but virtually every cell in your body.

Yes, you can actually sleep yourself to a higher level of wellness. However millions of us are walking around in a sleep deprivation stupor. We also routinely make huge mistakes when it comes to the “simple act of sleep”. If you follow these tips you will feel better and help restore your mind and body.

Mistake #1

You must sleep in a totally dark room. Sleeping in a dark room helps with the production of the brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin. How important is sleep in a nice dark room? Well a Finnish study actually showed that women that slept 9 hours had 1/3 the risk of getting breast cancer.

Also it is totally essential not to have an alarm clock with a blue hue. It is better to have red or orange, but keep it dim. Bright is not right, in one’s bedroom. Why not blue, well UV rays that help keep us happy and also wake us up in the morning are part of the blue spectrum. So, blue light in the bedroom is not the way to go.

Mistake #2

Sure it is annoying, but I can live with my partner’s snoring. Wrong answer. Sleeping with a chronic snorer can rob you of your health. It takes energy and disturbs your sleep to keep nudging them to roll over. Furthermore, they could be dying in front of your closed eyes.

The fact is about 24% of young guys and 10% of young women actually aren’t just snoring, they are suffocating with a condition called sleep apnea. Apnea is where your oxygen levels plummet, choking out the very life sustaining breath that keeps you alive. Sadly 38,000 people a year die in their sleep from sleep apnea, this does not even count all the other accelerated ways of dying from lack of sleep. By the way as we all get older, the prevalence of sleep apnea and sleep disorders rises dramatically.

Get tested for sleep apnea, it can save your life and help address everything from diabetes, acid reflux, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and even impotence in many cases.

Mistake #3

Thinking that sleep problems really aren’t a big deal. Well here are some powerful facts; 20-40 percent of all adults will have insomnia during the course of a year. Over 70 million Americans suffer from disorders of sleep and wakefulness.

I have also found that people that don’t dream or remember their dreams in my clinical practice are often low in B vitamins or have sleep apnea.

Solutions:

As always, talk to your doctor; yet here are some helpful tips to sleep and sleep well:

Don’t watch television in bed.

Don’t eat in bed.

Use of the supplement melatonin can often help with sleep. This supplement is actually the same
hormone your body produces to help you fall asleep and stay asleep, plus it is a powerful antioxidant as
a bonus.

Taking calcium prior to bed can also help with sleep.

If you choose to take some extra B complex to help with dreams, it is absolutely essential to do so prior
to noon, so it does not keep you up. My patients report the vast majority of time, they have more
dreams with B vitamins.

Remember, snoring is not good and can be a sign of something possibly (not always) worse, like sleep apnea. I wish you a good night of sleep and RESToration.

Health Tips
On the Go!

Improve Posture

1.Avoid slouching. Be aware of your posture as you walk, sit, and drive, keep shoulders squared and head pulled back and up.

2.Imagine a thread pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling. Visualization can help improve your sense of position.

3.If your job requires you to sit for long periods, take frequent breaks to stand, stretch and shake it out.

4.Maintain a strong core to help support proper posture. Add core-training exercises to your daily routine.

5.A firm mattress and ergonomic pillow help achieve proper back support while you sleep, so you'll stand straighter in the a.m.

Please Note: The information and all statements provided on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information provided, and any products or services mentioned, are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Please speak with a health professional for your individual health and medical concerns and consultation.